Several methods for providing packet communications are known (see the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,586,141 and 5,537,434). However, these methods generally suffer from significant bandwidth capacity losses related to the large amount of time required for achieving clock and carrier frequency synchronization during reception of each transmitted data packet.
Also known is a method of signal transmission and reception that achieves carrier and clock frequency synchronization regardless of the order of the QAM modulation scheme used the International Patent Publication No. WO 2005/096539. This method does not require any differential coding. The system of carrier and clock frequency extraction is linear as a result of the introduction of a specific pilot tone. However, this method is intended for continuous mode transmission systems and is not immediately applicable for packet communications in carrier frequency hopping systems.
There is therefore a need for methods that increase the bandwidth capacity of carrier frequency hopping systems.